Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1887-03-05
WASHINGTON LETTER.
WASHINGTON. Feb. 28tb. les

W AchiNU1ON, Icus 1Clu, 1885,
Will there be an extra session
This is an important question at the
Capital just now. You hear it dis.
cussed on every side. AS to the
probability and necessity for a call
ed session of the two Houses or a
special session of the Senate, the
opinions of our lawmakers differ
widely. Some say the backward
state Of the Appropriation bills, for
which the Democratic branch oil
Congress is entirely to blame, make
a called session inevitable. Others
say the work will all be done and
both Houses will be ready to ad.
journ on next Friday.
Congressman never want an extra
session, but the people of Washing.
ton always do. 1t is to their in.
terest for Congress to hang on as
long as possible, and they would
like for its sessions to be perennial.
The House is now working night
and day in order to get through.
Hon. Mr.. Butterworth, of Ohio, who
is much opposed to an extra session,
says the House is very censuraDle
for its delay of this work. He is a
member of the powerful Appropria-
tions Committee of the House, blu
he is a Republican member, and OF
course in the minority on a vote.
He was speaking of the uDfairness
on the part of the House in not
giving the Senate time to carefully
consider these bills, but said he "trhe
only question involved is that OF
amount, it is not as if there was any
Legislation connected with them,
The Senate can dispose of them in a
very short time"
There has been a perfect pot.
pourri in the proceedings OF Con,
gress during the past week, and
will be during the remaining few
days. The calendars of both Houses
are exceedingly cumbersome, and
so much business Of great impor.
lance demands attention that the
temptation to undue haste is ir-
resistible
While the matter of appoint.
ments and Combinations is not IN
itself sufficient to bring about an
extra session of the Senate, it con.
tributes to the influences which
may produce called session,
Opinions respecting the Presidents
power to appoint the Interstate
Commerce Commissioners during a
recess OF the Senate are widely
apart. The President thinks he has
the right to do so and Senator
Sherman agrees with him, as does
also the Attorney General, who
has rendered an opinion and cited
Attorney Generals Stanberry,
Evarts, Williams, and Devens as
precedents.
But Messrs. Edmunds, Harris,
Pugh, and other Senators of promi
nence declare that the President
has no shadow of Constitutional
right to fill q newly created Office
when the Senate is not Ill session to
give its advice and consent. They
hold that his power in the matter is
limited to filling vacancies tempo
rarily which may happen during the
recess.
There is good deal OF specula.
ton as to what the President will
do with the bill recently passed by
both Houses of Congress making a
Department of Agriculture and an
addition to the Cabinet to be called
the Secretary of Agriculture. This
bill has been pending in Congress
for years and was passed once be
fore by both branches, but was
vetoed by President Arthur. Agri
culturists generally have petitioned
for its passage of late and it is
thought Mr.. Cleveland will not veto
it for fear of imperiling his politica
future.
1t has been just thirty-eight years
since a Congress created a new
Executive Department. Our first
President began his administration
with Cabinet of three members
the Secretaries of State, Treasury
aud War. At the beginning of bis
second term, however, the Attorney
General was added to bis official
household, and later the Navy De
partment was organized. The Cabi.
net then consisted of five members
until 1929, when the Postmaster
General was added. Twenty years
later Congress organized the last
Department, that of the Interior
and President Taylor made Thomas
Ewing, of Ohio, its first Secretary.
AS soon as Mr.. Corcoran, the
venerable and widely known Wash
ington philanthropist, learned Of the
arrival Of Mrs. Grant in this city, be
called to see her. She has also
been visited by all the employees OIL
the White House who were there
during her residence in it.